Aural

/ˈɔrəl/

IPA guide

If you have excellent aural abilities, it means that your ears work well. Aural means "pertaining to hearing."

Some people learn well using their aural skills, which means they can hear something and remember it easily later. The root of the word aural is the Latin word meaning "pertaining to the ear," auris. It's easy to get aural confused with another word that sounds similar, oral, which means "pertaining to the mouth."

Definitions of aural

adjective
of or pertaining to hearing or the ear

“an animal with a very sensitive aural apparatus”
adjective
relating to or characterized by an aura

“various aural effects that precede a migraine headache”

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Commonly confused words

aural / oral / verbal

Aural refers to the ear or hearing, and oral to the mouth or speaking. Something verbal is expressed in words, either spoken or written. Listen to the aural sensations of songs from outer space when you've been gassed for your oral surgery. Then stay non-verbal because you can't use words for a long time after the dentist wakes you up.

Word Family

aural / oral / verbal

Vocabulary lists containing aural

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